The present invention is in the general field of obtaining an outline of a pair of eyeglasses for generating an add-on unit such as a clip-on whose lenses are readily mountable on and in registration with the eyeglass frame.
There are known in the art many types of add-on units that are fitted onto eyeglass frames. An example is a clip-on that matches in size and shape the eyeglass frame and is configured to be readily mounted thereon. Typically, such a clip-on has dark lenses, and when used, can convert conventional eyeglasses (having optical lenses) to sunglasses. Clip-ons are, thus, quite popular, since they are compact and insofar as the user is concerned, the need to have separate optical eyeglasses and sunglasses is obviated.
Normally, clip-ons are manufactured through a mass production process to fit popular eyeglass designs. Thus, the customer can, upon purchasing eyeglasses not only buy the eyeglasses of interest, but their matching clip-ons as well.
A typical manufacturing process of clip-ons includes feeding to a cutting machine data indicative of the outline of the eyeglass frame and cutting the clip-on lenses according to these data. Additionally, on the basis of pre-knowledge of the designated location of the clip-on parts (such as the bridge that connects the two clip-on lenses), the corresponding holes and sockets that are used to connect the clip-on parts can be prepared.
The outline data can be obtained, inter alia on the basis of known characteristics of the eyeglass frame and supplemental manual/automatic measurements. Once determined off-line, these data can be used throughout the mass production process for this particular eyeglass design.
The need to manufacture clip-ons arises not always on the industrial scale, but sometimes on a smaller scale, in particular in those cases where eyeglasses are not commercially available with a matching clip-on. Consider, for example, a customer who purchases eyeglasses (which are not provided with a clip-on) and wishes to order upon purchase, or later, a customized clip-on.
There is, thus, a need in the art to provide means to readily manufacture a customized clip-on, e.g. at the optometrist""s premises. To this end, there is a need to provide a system which is not too expensive and which can scan the eyeglasses and calculate an outline data of the eyeglass frame. These data can be used to cut the clip-on lenses to fit the form and shape of the frame. The device is further capable of calculating the location data of clip-on holes that will be served for anchoring the clip-on parts to the clip-on lenses, such as the bridge that holds together the clip-on lenses.
There is a further need in the art to provide for an integral system which scans the eyeglasses, calculates the frame outline and other necessary data and feeds the data to a cutting machine for substantially real-time production of a customized clip-on.
Considering that the specified system is typically useful for small-scale production, it should be relatively inexpensive in order to be commercially feasible.
There is a further need in the art to provide for a system of the kind specified used with frame-less or partially frame-less eyeglasses.
There is a further need in the art for a system of the kind specified suitable to manufacture eyeglass add-on units other than clip-ons.
There are known in the art publications that deal with the general problem of manufacturing clip-ons and obtaining contour data of objects, as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,724 to Salk; U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,762 to Shibata; U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,652 to Croyle et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,140 to Underwood; U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,200 to Markey; U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,417 to Dahan et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,854 to Varaprasad et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,617 to Troitski et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,960 to Andrews et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,991 to Rarick et al.; FR 2763707; U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,538; U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,169; U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,050; U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,179 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,264.
The present invention provides for a method for imaging eyeglasses, and obtaining data indicative of at least an outline of the eyeglasses and designated locations associated with the outline, comprising:
(a) placing the eyeglasses for imaging;
(b) acquiring and displaying an image of the eyeglasses using a short focal length imaging device;
(c) calculating and displaying an editable outline for each eyepiece of the eyeglasses, such that the editable outline can be compared to a respective eyepiece of the image;
(d) calculating supplemental locations associated with the outline for anchoring parts of an add-on unit; and
(e) providing data indicative of at least said outline and said supplemental locations;
whereby said data is useable for shaping lenses of at least one customized add-on unit and manufacturing in a non-industrial scale the at least one an add-on unit having, each, a size and shape that substantially matches the eyeglasses.
The invention further provides for a method for imaging eyeglasses having lenses, and obtaining data indicative of at least an outline of the eyeglasses and designated locations associated with the outline, comprising:
(i) placing the eyeglasses for imaging;
(ii) acquiring and displaying an image of the eyeglasses using a short focal length imaging device;
(iii) calculating and displaying an editable outline for each eyepiece of the eyeglasses, such that the editable outline can be compared to a respective eyepiece of the image;
(iv) calculating supplemental locations associated with the outline for manufacturing holes and/or slots that anchor clip-on parts that include bridge and legs; and
(v) providing data indicative of at least said outline and said supplemental locations;
whereby said data is useable for shaping clip-on lenses and shaping holes or slots in the clip-on lenses in order to anchor the clip-on parts to the clip-on lenses and to manufacture in a non-industrial scale at least one customized clip-on having, each, a size and shape that substantially matches the eyeglasses.
Still further, the invention provides for a method for manufacturing in a non-industrial scale and substantially in real-time at least one customized clip-on having, each, size and shape that substantially matches an eyeglasses frame, the method comprising the steps of:
(i) placing the eyeglasses for imaging;
(ii) acquiring and displaying an image of the eyeglasses using a short focal length imaging device;
(iii) calculating and displaying an editable outline for each eyepiece of the eyeglasses, such that the editable outline can be compared to a respective eyepiece of the image;
(iv) calculating supplemental locations associated with the outline for manufacturing holes and/or slots that anchor clip-on parts that include at least bridge and legs; and
(v) providing to a shaping machine data indicative of at least said outline and said supplemental locations;
(vi) shaping clip-on lenses and shaping holes and/or slots in the clip-on lenses according to said provided data; and
(vii) assembling the clip-on lenses and the clip-on parts so as to produce said at least one clip-on.
Yet further, the invention provides for a method for imaging eyeglasses having lenses, and obtaining data indicative of at least an outline of the eyeglasses and designated locations associated with the outline, comprising:
(i) placing the eyeglasses for imaging;
(ii) acquiring and displaying an image of the eyeglasses.
(iii) calculating and displaying an editable outline for each eyepiece of the eyeglasses, such that the editable outline can be compared to a respective eyepiece of the image;
(iv) calculating supplemental locations associated with the outline for anchoring clip-on parts; and
(v) providing data indicative of at least said outline and said supplemental locations;
whereby said data is useable for shaping clip-on lenses and to manufacture in a non-industrial scale at least one customized clip-on having, each, a size and shape that substantially matches the eyeglasses.
The invention provides for a system for imaging eyeglasses, and obtaining data indicative of at least an outline of the eyeglasses and designated locations associated with the outline, comprising:
a positioning device for placing the eyeglasses for imaging;
a short focal length imaging device configured to acquire an image of the eyeglasses;
a processor and associated display configured to perform at least the following:
calculating an editable outline for each eyepiece of the eyeglasses and display said outline and said image, such that the editable outline can be compared to a respective eyepiece of the image;
calculating supplemental locations associated with the outline for anchoring parts of an add-on unit; and
providing data indicative of at least said outline and said supplemental locations,
whereby said data is useable for shaping lenses of at least one customized add-on unit and manufacturing in a non-industrial scale the at least one an add-on unit having, each, a size and shape that substantially matches the eyeglasses.
The invention further provides for a system for imaging eyeglasses having lenses, and obtaining data indicative of at least an outline of the eyeglasses and designated locations associated with the outline, comprising:
a positioning device for placing the eyeglasses for imaging;
a short focal length imaging device for acquiring an image of the eyeglasses;
a processor and associated display configured to perform at least the following:
calculating an editable outline for each eyepiece of the eyeglasses and display said outline and said image, such that the editable outline can be compared to a respective eyepiece of the image;
calculating supplemental locations associated with the outline for manufacturing holes and/or slots that anchor clip-on parts that include bridge and legs; and
providing data indicative of at least said outline and said supplemental locations;
whereby said data is useable for shaping clip-on lenses and shaping holes or slots in the clip-on lenses in order to anchor the clip-on parts to the clip-on lenses and to manufacture in a non-industrial scale at least one customized clip-on having, each, a size and shape that substantially matches the eyeglasses.
Still further, the invention provides for a system for manufacturing in a non-industrial scale and substantially in real-time at least one customized clip-on having, each, size and shape that substantially matches an eyeglasses frame, the system comprising:
a positioning device for placing the eyeglasses for imaging;
a short focal length imaging device for acquiring an image of the eyeglasses;
a processor and associated display configured to perform at least the following:
calculating and an editable outline for each eyepiece of the eyeglasses and displaying the outline and the image, such that the editable outline can be compared to a respective eyepiece of the image;
calculating supplemental locations associated with the outline for manufacturing holes and/or slots that anchor clip-on parts that include at least bridge and legs;
providing to a shaping machine data indicative of at least said outline and said supplemental locations;
the shaping machine responsive to said data for shaping clip-on lenses and shaping holes and/or slots in the clip-on lenses according to said provided data, for assembling the clip-on lenses and the clip-on parts so as to produce said at least one clip-on.
Yet further, the invention provides for a system for imaging eyeglasses having lenses, and obtaining data indicative of at least an outline of the eyeglasses and designated locations associated with the outline, comprising:
a positioning device for placing the eyeglasses for imaging;
an imaging device for acquiring and displaying an image of the eyeglasses.
a processor and associated display configured to perform at least the following:
calculating an editable outline for each eyepiece of the eyeglasses and displaying the outline and the image, such that the editable outline can be compared to a respective eyepiece of the image;
calculating supplemental locations associated with the outline for anchoring clip-on parts; and
providing data indicative of at least said outline and said supplemental locations;
whereby said data is useable for shaping clip-on lenses and to manufacture in a non-industrial scale at least one customized clip-on having, each, a size and shape that substantially matches the eyeglasses.